Grand Imperial Armed Forces
The Grand Imperial Armed Forces (GIAF) are the armed forces of the Grand Imperial Coalition (IC), and the largest military in the world both in terms of manpower and funding, with just over a million troops. It consists of the Grand Imperial Army (GIA), Grand Imperial Sky Force (GISF), Grand Imperial Navy (GIN), as well as the United Guard (UG). Personnel are conscripted from the citizenry of IC member states and paid through coalition-wide taxes, and placed under the command of the Paramount of the Grand Imperial Coalition (presently Yerga Dzarguul). In addition, the Grand Imperial Army maintains the volunteer Expatriate Legion, consisting of volunteers who are not nationals in any IC member states, in particular nationals from associate members of the IC. The largest contributors to the GIAF are Beygir and Daolin, making up 30% and 35% of personnel respectively. Unprecedented globally, half of the Beygul personnel and a quarter of the forces at large are women, and there are several all-women brigades, divisions, and flotillas. The GIAF maintains a stockpile of Mortal Weapons developed as part of the Under Heaven Programme, and is one of only five armed forces globally to maintain such a stockpile. The GIAF is currently engaged in the IC's war with the Imperial State of Ralat, and provides defensive garrisons in Tashuye, Kailana, Dovan, the Mopaea Imperial Associate states (Taoara, Bertak, Taiana, Tuilo, Nuiloa, Hurao, Raimutu, and Matiyen), Haritik, Almina, and Sebandar. The GIAF also participates in the four-way treaty system of the military occupation of Shevir, and lies accused of installing stay-behind agents in Gaohra. The GIAF's main rivals on the global stage are the Royal Aquilan Armed Forces, the Imperial Maiyone Armed Forces, the Federal Forces of the Coalition of Free Republics, the Armed Forces of the Empire of Régoroa, the Saheric Protectors of Hamaji, the Royal Men of Erinoba, the Arm of Oryatundo, and the Regal Guard of Sunghala. The GIAF would also be reluctant to engage the National Force of Sahkora, the Janbatiya Defence Force, the Defence Force of Zapevina, or the Royal Norran Armed Forces, but they do not pose any serious threat to the GIAF's dominance. Organisation Grand Imperial Army The Ground Imperial Army (GIA) consists of a hundred legions (commanded by a Grand General), further subdivided into brigades (commanded by a General), then regiments (commanded by a Commandant), then companies (commanded by a Chief Officer), then squadrons (commanded by an Officer). Legions are loosely grouped into High Commands (commanded by a High Commander) for regional coordination purposes. The GIA, unlike the other GIAF branches, often divides legions along ethnic grounds, eg. the 51st Daolese Legion or 25th Khagiran Legion. Some legions earn unique titles as bestowed by the Paramount, for example the 5th Mernovan Legion is known as the Mernovan Imperial Guard. Also notable is the Expatriate Legion, formed from volunteers that are not nationals of any IC member state. Within the Expatriate Legion notable brigades come from Tashuye, Kailana, Régoroa, Haritik, Zapevina, Norra, Parvat, Dovan, Sebandar, and Bertak. Famously the Brigade of Free Men consists of black expatriates of the CFR. Approximately a quarter of the GIA consists of mounted regiments, predominantly Beygul, known as Hordes. This includes both mounted infantry, which makes up the majority, mounted artillery, and both light and heavy cavalry. Mounted forces form the backbone of GIA strategy and remain a powerful force despite their growing obsolescence in other armed forces. They have performed favourably against militaries where tanks have largely come to replace cavalry, owing to the GIAF's tactical focus on mobility inherited from Beygul strategy. However the IC has come to recognise the strategic importance of tanks and armoured warfare and moved to use them in concert with horseback units. Grand Imperial Sky Force The Grand Imperial Sky Force (GISF) consists of fifty commands (commanded by an Grand Air Marshal), further subdivided into divisions (commanded by an Air Marshal), wings (commanded by an Air Captain), and squadrons (commanded by a Squadron Leader). All commands are ethnically integrated, but as with the other branches Beygul and Daolese people make up the majority of the GISF. Of the fifty commands, forty nine are composed of aeroplanes and one of airships. Of the aeroplanes, the majority are state-of-the-art dedicated military planes manufactured in Daolin. They are designed for-purpose, with specialised planes for reconnaissance, air combat manoeuvring, airstrikes, and strategic bombing. The GISF relies especially heavily on airstrikes and strategic bombing, used in concert with heavy cavalry and rapidly-deployed mounted artillery, to rapidly eliminate targets. The airship command includes fifty airships dedicated as airborne aircraft carriers, while the rest are reserved for strategic bombing and carrying airborne troops. Grand Imperial Navy The Grand Imperial Navy (GIN) consists of ten fleets (commanded by a Grand Admiral), further subdivided into flotillas (commanded by an Admiral), then convoys (commanded by a Commadore), then individual vessels (commanded by a Captain). The GIN consists of the fewest ethnically Beygul personnel of any of the GIAF branches, dominated instead by Daolese and Mernovan sailors as well as a sizeable Damrin contingent. The ten fleets are designated to a particular ocean or region, and are so named after said ocean or region, eg. the Mopaea Fleet, the Qunik Fleet, the Evrenselli Fleet, the Kaskish Fleet, the Fleet of Vanitra, the Ortusian Fleet etc. The GIN also designates two fleets specifically to the waterways within Daolin and Damri. United Guard The United Guard (UG) is a Gendarmerie force dedicated to the protection of the paramount and all members of the IC government. It is directed by a Grand Commissioner, below whom are the Commissioners, below which are Directors, below which are Officers. It contains a paramilitary secret police force known as the Paramount Guard. The Paramount Guard is the main counterintelligence agency of the union and may engage in extrajudicial assassination, blackmail, arbitrary detainment, and intimidation in order to suppress dissent and maintain the security of the coalition. They operate a web of civilian informants and spies throughout the union and its constituent governments, in order to uncover dissenters in the public and in the government.